In related art, an image forming apparatus has been known which includes a sheet feeding tray configured to support a sheet, and an apparatus main body configured to support the sheet feeding tray so as to be moveable in a conveying direction of the sheet.
Regarding the image forming apparatus, for example, an image forming apparatus has been known which includes conveying rollers (a feeder roller, a separation roller, and the like) configured to convey a sheet and a chute provided downstream of the conveying rollers with respect to a conveying direction of the sheet, and a sheet conveyance path configured by the chute has a curved shape.
Here, in the image forming apparatus, since the sheet feeding tray is moveably supported by the apparatus main body, the chute for guiding the sheet has such a configuration where it is divided into a first chute provided to the sheet feeding tray-side and a second chute provided to the apparatus main body-side.
Therefore, when conveying the sheet from a sheet conveyance path of the sheet feeding tray-side to a sheet conveyance path of the apparatus main body-side, it is necessary to provide a step (hereinafter, referred to as “step portion”) between the first chute and the second chute and to receive the sheet at the second chute of the apparatus main body-side so as to prevent a front end of the sheet from being jammed at a boundary part between the first chute and the second chute.
For that reason, when a stiff thick sheet is used, for example, immediately after a rear end of the sheet with respect to the conveying direction passes through the step portion, the sheet hops up and collides with the second chute of the apparatus main body-side due to an elastic force of the sheet, so that a hopping sound is caused.
Therefore, according to the related art, in order to suppress the hopping sound at the step portion, the step portion of the chute is configured so that it is inclined toward a downstream side of the conveying direction as it is directed from both end portions of the sheet in a width direction toward a central portion in the width direction, and when a rear end of the sheet in the conveying direction passes through the step portion, the sheet gradually moves to the second chute of the apparatus main body-side from both end portions of the sheet in the width direction toward the central portion in the width direction.
However, even with the above configuration, when the sheet conveyance path is curved, the elastic force, which is generated on the sheet being guided, is high. Therefore, when the central portion, in the width direction, of the rear end of the sheet in the conveying direction passes through the step portion and the sheet moves to the second chute of the apparatus main body-side, the rear end of the sheet hops up and collides with the second chute, so that the hopping sound may be generated.